A new documentary has aired testimony from Israeli soldiers describing a widespread collapse of military discipline and legal constraints during the Gaza war. The soldiers allege a pattern of unprovoked killings of civilians, arbitrary designations of enemy combatants, and the systematic use of Palestinian civilians as human shields.
Multiple soldiers, some speaking anonymously, reported that the military’s official rules of engagement were effectively ignored on the ground. One armored corps officer stated that the foundational principle of firing only when a target demonstrates “means, intent, and ability” to cause harm was completely absent in Gaza. Instead, he said, soldiers operated on vague suspicions, such as a man’s age or his pace of walking.
Commanders on the scene were described as having unilateral, life-or-death authority. One soldier recounted an incident where a senior officer ordered a tank to shell a building in a supposedly safe area, claiming a man hanging laundry on the roof was a military spotter. The attack reportedly caused numerous casualties.
The testimonies also confirm long-standing allegations regarding the use of “human shields,” a practice soldiers referred to as the “mosquito protocol.” This involved forcing Palestinian civilians, equipped with tracking devices, to enter and map out tunnels ahead of Israeli troops.
Furthermore, soldiers and a contractor working at aid distribution sites described Israeli forces opening fire on unarmed civilians rushing to receive food aid. One witness described seeing soldiers shoot two young men in the head during such a scramble.
Several soldiers interviewed linked the conduct on the ground to inflammatory rhetoric from political and religious leaders, which they said created an atmosphere where distinctions between combatants and civilians were erased. One major recalled a brigade rabbi explicitly advocating for revenge against all Palestinians, including civilians.
While the Israeli military has issued statements denying systematic wrongdoing and asserting its commitment to international law, the soldiers’ accounts paint a picture of a command structure that allowed, and in some cases encouraged, a radical departure from established military codes. One unit commander concluded his testimony by saying the experience had stripped him of pride, leaving only shame.